iPhone Takes Off in Korea

**Paul Daniel Ash** · 11-30-2009, 04:46 PM

South Koreans finally got their long awaited iPhones on Saturday, with some excited customers starting to line up 26 hours before sales began in the Seoul outlet of South Korean mobile carrier KT Corporation, Apple's local partner,. 65,000 customers had pre-ordered the phone, with tens or even hundreds of thousands of orders expected by the end of the year.

Regulatory hurdles had delayed the iPhone's arrival in South Korea, but final approval by the Korea Communications Commission came earlier this month. The government agency issued Apple a special license to offer location-based services - like maps and directions - in South Korea. South Korean law requires companies that provide such services to get government permission.

The commission earlier this year also abolished a rule that required all mobile devices to carry special software adapted to South Korea's wireless Internet platform. Since this regulation imposed an added cost for foreign manufacturers, it was viewed as an illegal trade barrier under World Trade Organization rules.

KT said about 850 people picked up iPhones at the launch event, with others receiving them via delivery to their homes or offices. The 32 GB iPhone 3GS - available from KT for the equivalent of $317 on a $38 per month two-year contract and free to customers who buy a month-to month contract at $112/mo - is cheap for this market, dominated by Korean manufacturers Samsung and LG: the second and third largest phone makers globally, after Nokia. The Korea Times reported that Samsung has already lowered prices on some models in what could be the start of a smartphone price war.

South Korean consumers are "sophisticated," according to iPhonAsia, and "are eager to take full advantage of iPhone’s superior user interface and application offerings."

image via Naver

**mavrik101** · 11-30-2009, 05:01 PM

So are these the phones with no wi-fi?

**romeo_herman** · 11-30-2009, 05:13 PM

Congratulation Korea....

**goodgod2** · 11-30-2009, 05:17 PM

Great news everyone loves the iphone.

**awesomeSlayer** · 11-30-2009, 05:43 PM

Originally Posted by mavrik101

So are these the phones with no wi-fi?

Nope. That's China whose iPhone doesn't have Wi-Fi.
Congrats to you, Korea.

**big poops** · 11-30-2009, 06:13 PM

F Korea!!

**tudtran** · 11-30-2009, 06:25 PM

Holly ****. They did better than China.

**hancoma** · 11-30-2009, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by big poops

F Korea!!

As usual we can rely on Big Turd to throw in his useless garbage....
Why are you even here? Nothing you say has any value and is only sent out to inflame....useless,
like your name, big turd...

**awesomeSlayer** · 11-30-2009, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by big poops

F Korea!!

If you're going to post useless garbage, get out of here!

**rhekt** · 11-30-2009, 08:42 PM

wow 65,000 preorders thats intense!

**big poops** · 11-30-2009, 10:06 PM

Originally Posted by hancoma

As usual we can rely on Big Turd to throw in his useless garbage....
Why are you even here? Nothing you say has any value and is only sent out to inflame....useless,
like your name, big turd...

Your a nerd!! by the looks of your picture your still a virgin!!! HAHA its okay though.... The right guy will come along some day!!! You probably know absolutely nothing about iPhones

SAME GOES TO YOU AWESOMEIPOD!!!!!

**Zeal** · 11-30-2009, 10:20 PM

Originally Posted by big poops

Your a nerd!! by the looks of your picture your still a virgin!!! HAHA its okay though.... The right guy will come along some day!!! You probably know absolutely nothing about iPhones

SAME GOES TO YOU AWESOMEIPOD!!!!!

This kid is funny... Grow up kid.

Ban in 3... 2.. 1.

As the the post goes, what's with all the Asian countires and putting limits on the iPhone seems kinda dumb to me?

**hancoma** · 11-30-2009, 10:21 PM

Lmao! Seriously? You do not know who that picture is? Does the name Orwellian ring a bell? Nm I can tell it is useless to even try. Nite big turd please stop hurting me with ur words they hurt so bad. Lol!

**hollow0** · 11-30-2009, 10:47 PM

free to customers who go on month-to-month at $112?!!! Did anyone else read this or did i misread? That's the best deal ever! ****! $38 per month on a 2yr contract?! geeezzzz... nvm that's the best deal lol. Man i wish we could have that here.

Originally Posted by big poops

Your a nerd!! by the looks of your picture your still a virgin!!! HAHA its okay though.... The right guy will come along some day!!! You probably know absolutely nothing about iPhones

SAME GOES TO YOU AWESOMEIPOD!!!!!

wow.. your maturity level is below that of a middle school student. How old are you?

**one1** · 11-30-2009, 10:52 PM

Originally Posted by big poops

Your a nerd!! by the looks of your picture your still a virgin!!! HAHA its okay though.... The right guy will come along some day!!! You probably know absolutely nothing about iPhones

SAME GOES TO YOU AWESOMEIPOD!!!!!

....and you're missing several points of elementary school spelling and punctuation that anyone who could score a 36 on the SAT's could get correct.

**Freerunnering** · 12-01-2009, 04:17 AM

Originally Posted by awesomeiPod

Nope. That's China whose iPhone doesn't have Wi-Fi.
Congrats to you, Korea.

yeah but just before they went on sale they let apple a licence to sell ones with wifi aswell but they already made the no wifi ones so theres a month or 2 of no wifi iphones before the wifi ones make it through to the market!

**sphangman** · 12-01-2009, 06:18 AM

Originally Posted by big poops

F Korea!!

how do we kick this child ?

**CaptainChaos** · 12-01-2009, 07:57 AM

Man, $38 a month! I think I am going to go cry now.

**dogyouare** · 12-01-2009, 02:41 PM

well i am korean ( half american and half korean that lives in us) well i was the frist one to bring iphone to korea and thanks to being hacked i used my cuz sim and started to use it and people were surprised and well its not going to be fun for me.... and watch korea hacking into their iphone quickly!!

hey also well theey gave free touch/smartphone for free like 3-4 years ago that did soo much better function...

**realjaja** · 12-05-2009, 01:38 AM

wait - so whats up with the no contract month to month? its free? wtf? so i should just like go to korea and start a contract and get the phone for free and cancel the month to month the next month? so its basically like a $120 phone?

did i miss something? (well i guess the $1000 plane fare to get there from here...)

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